Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillors S Copley, S Marlow and T Smith. It was noted that Councillor M Adams was substituting for Councillor S Copley.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the Officers. He reminded Members and Officers to use their microphones as the meeting was being webcast.

The full webcast of the meeting can be viewed here: Development Management Committee – 11 March 2026.

To receive any Members' declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday 11 February 2026

Councillor Devonshire proposed, and Councillor R Buckmaster seconded, a motion that the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2026 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2026, be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Recommended for Approval.

The Director for Place recommended that in respect of application 3/25/0950/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of the report.

The Principal Planning Officer referred to the late representations summary and set out the late representation from the lead local flood authority. She said that condition 10 had been revised following that late representation.

Members were advised that condition 11 had been removed, and subsequent conditions had been renumbered. They were all advised that a number of documents had been added to the approved documents section of the report.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the site was part of a wider agricultural holding, and she highlighted the area that was earmarked for the PV panels. She summarised the convoluted access arrangements to the site for the purposes of construction, which made used of the existing agricultural tracks which were already being used.

Members were advised that the PV panels would be connected directly into the national grid via the overhead power lines that ran through the site. The electricity could also by the applicant for the land use activities on the site, and to offset the carbon emissions from the use on the site. It was the proposed that the use of the site for solar panels would cease after 30 years.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised in detail the location of the proposed development. She set out the delivery point adjoining Brookfield Lane in what was a highly rural location with a lot of established field boundaries. Members were advised that there were no other designations on the site beyond the green belt.

The Principal Planning Officer set out the context of the site in relation to public rights, the extensive field boundaries and the heritage assets including the Grade 2 listed Lords Farmhouse. She said that there were a number of modern buildings around that listed building and there was no heritage impact from the proposed development.

The Principal Planning Officer set out the detail of the proposed solar panels and summarised the modest dimensions of the PV Panels and the details of the inverters. She set out some imagery of the panels and summarised the proposed landscape plan, as well as details of native hedgerows and details of the 55.49% biodiversity net gain.

Members were advised that the construction and traffic management plan had been agreed with Hertfordshire County Council. A condition had been requested to be imposed to require a plan with some more details.

The Principal Planning Officer set out details of the planned maximum journeys for the delivery of the PV panels. She said that unloading would happen on some hardstanding, and that no HGVs would be used in the delivery of the panels. Members were advised that these details would be secured in the construction management plan, subject to a condition requiring a plan with more details included.

The Principal Planning Officer presented a series of plans showing the views around the site and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Recommended for Approval.

The Director for Place recommended that in respect of application 3/25/0763/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of the report.

The Planning Officer said that a late representation had been received from Ware Town Council who had resolved to support the application subject to consideration of concerns regarding pedestrian safety, the availability of space for events and the potential of the proposals to encourage additional parking in the square.

The Planning Officer summarised in detail the proposed development and set out the location of the site in the town centre of Ware. He set out of the access to the site and detailed the location of the existing police station. Members were advised that the site was located in the Ware conservation area and within the plan area of the adopted Ware Neighbourhood Plan.

The Planning Officer presented a series of plans and photos that were pertinent to the application and the proposed application. Following a query from a Member, the Planning Officer referred back to the late representations and said that all of the issues raised by Ware Town Council had been addressed by the report.

Members commented on the TRO and the police parking in Tudor Square. The Planning Officer confirmed that a permanent traffic regulation order (TRO) was being revised by Hertfordshire County Council, and this was proposed to include the two parking spaces within the TRO. He confirmed to the committee that the TRO would permit the police to park regardless of what events were taking place.

The Planning Officer set out the design had been amended to metal studs as a more low-level addition and a design that was more in keeping with the circular square and this would not impact on the relatively new paving in Tudor Square. Members were advised that there would be some loss of space in the square for the market and officers considered this to be acceptable in the context of the function of the market.

The Planning Officer confirmed that the applicant had agreed to a condition to limit the times the spaces could be used outside of market hours. Officers had considered that the condition was not appropriate as the police were able to park in Tudor Square without permission.

Councillor Watson proposed and Councillor Thomas seconded, a motion that Councillor Andrews be permitted to briefly address the committee to add some context to the consideration of the application and the historic use of Tudor Square and the wider Ware town centre by the police and other vehicles.

Afte being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that Councillor David Andrews be permitted to briefly address the committee to add some context to the consideration of the application and the historic use of Tudor Square and the wider Ware town centre by the police and other vehicles.

Councillor Devonshire proposed and Councillor R Buckmaster seconded, a motion that application 3/25/0763/FUL be granted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting, is of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration and is not likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information.

There was no urgent business.

If Part II business is notified and the procedures set out in the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 have been complied with, the Chairman will move: - That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of item XX on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph XX of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

There was no urgent part two business.